Bookbinding-machine.



A. BREDENBERG.

VBOOKBINDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1912.

1,181,567. Patented May 2,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH vCo \VASHlN c.

A. BREDENBERG.

BOOKBINDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, I912.

1,181,567. Patented May 2,1916

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I g tor: 6 liven by 75 n 4 Atty THE COLUMBIA PLANOdRAPH 170., WASHINGTON, D. c.

A. BREDENBERG.

BOOKBINDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-29. 1912. 1,181,567, Patented May2, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Inventor:

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c

ALFRED BREDENBERG, 0F CHAMPILAIN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE SHERIDAN IRON WORKS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK, AND ONE-HALF TO 'I. W. & C. B. SHERIDAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BOOKBINDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED Bnnonnnnno, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Champlain, Clinton county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bookbinding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to transferring or feeding mechanism, such for example as is adaptable for the infeeding of signature groups or analogous objects to book binding machines or analogous machines although the invention might be employed in various other kinds of machines.

The invention has for an object to provide for successively transferring a series of objects such as the signature groups referred to, into justified position within a series of clamps for the purpose of such binding operations or other operations as are to be performed upon the same.

In my prior patent granted January 21, 1913, No. 1,051,074, for book binding inachines, I have described a transferring mechanism which serves to operatively connect a gathering mechanism and a binding mechanism, whereas the present invention affords a transferring mechanism to which the objects may be fed by hand when it is not desired to associate the delivery of the gathering mechanism therewith.

The present invention consists in the novel combinations, arrangements, contrivances and constructions hereinafter shown or described.

The accompanying three sheets of drawings referred to in the following description and forming a. part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the principles of the present invention, the same serving in connection with the following description to explain such principles.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a right-hand elevation partly in section showing certain parts of a book-binding machine and illustrating a transferring mechanism embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged plan view of certain details taken on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of portions of the machine shown in the other figures,

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The present embodiment of my invention involves a book binding machine comprising a clamp or series of clamps and a transferring mechanism for acting upon the succes- Sive signature groups to feed them one at a time into a clamp; each of the fed objects being during its transfer swung from an original flatwise position to the edgewise or upright position in which it is shifted into the clamp.

The transferring mechanism hereof comprises a series of parts which may be termed holders, shown arranged in a series and adapted to have the signature groups fed successively to them, ,combined with means for advancing the holders into the position wherein the successive signature groups are shifted or lifted from the holder into engagement with the clamp.

According to another feature of the present invention the series of holders are mutually mounted on an actuating member or wheel, which serves to successively bring them into receiving and delivering positions, and which preferably is actuated with a step-by-step movement so as to cooperate in harmony with the other mechanisms described.

Each of the features thus referred to, and other features that will be hereinafter disclosed, is thought to be novel in itself and also when employed in conjunction with others of said features.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings hereof, a signature group Z is indicated as the object handled by the mechanism. Some of the main portions of the book binding machine, as to which per 86 no claim of novelty is herein directed, will first be described, and thereafter the novel mechanism illustrating the present invention will be set forth.

The machine has a frame A carried on a suitable base. In the upper part of the frame is an upper guide B and a lower guide B, shown in the form of channels adapted to receive between them and to guide carriers of any known design com prising clamps O, C, intended to hold a .inafter described for book, signature group or other object. The said guides and carrier constitute a convenient and well known means of successively presenting a series of signature groups to the various instrumentalities comprised in a book binding machine; and for convenience there may be an extended series of carriers connected in a train and adapted to move intermittently along the guides B, B, which may take the form of an endless track so that each carrier or clamp upon completing a cycle of operations will stand at position ready to repeat the same.

When a clamp has been opened it is preferably closed by means of springs 0 sufliciently powerful to hold the object firmly within the clamp during the book binding, covering or other operations which may be performed, and the spring-action may be communicated by means of a pair of rods or stems 0, 0 which extend through apertures in the inner clamp part C and are encompassed by'the springs 0 the same having considerable length so as to secure substantial uniformity of pressure for varying thicknesses of objects. At the inner end of stems c, 0 are heads 0 adapted to be pressed upon by means which will be herethe purpose of sliding the stems outwardly to open up the clamp against the resistance of the sprlngs 0 which subsequently serve to close the clamp.

While in some cases the delivery of the gathering machine might deliver the objects to the transferring mechanism hereof, the latter is so designed as to permit hand feeding in a simple, convenient and efficient manner, and therefore no gatheringmechanism is herein illustrated.

A member D, which may be conveniently herein referred to as a holder, is adapted to have a signature group or other object fed to, or placed upon, it prior to the same being moved therefrom to the clamp. The structure of the holder D might be indefinitely varied, but I prefer to construct it with a surface adapted to receive the objects and hold them through the force of gravity, and by the aid of a flange (Z at one edge to permit the downward tipping of the holder toward that side.

I prefer in fact to employ a complete series of holders D, for example a series of six of them, actuated by a common actuating means to move successively from object-receiving position to the position where the objects are shifted from the holder to the clamp.

As a convenient means of mutually mounting the holders and effecting a step-by-step advance thereof, a wheel or drum E may be employed consisting of a pair of circular side plates 6, 6, between which the holders are mounted in the manner indicated. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that each holder D is in the form not of a single plate but of a series, namely four parallel strips or bars. In case of each holder these four strips or bars are mutually mounted on a cross-shaft F which is provided with bearings at its two opposite ends in the side plates 6, e of the drum or wheel E.

Means are employed and will be now described for controlling the postures or attitudes of the several holders as they travel with the movement of the wheel E. It will be hereinafter explained that the wheel revolves with a left-hand rotation, Fig. 1, by a step-by-step movement. The holder D at the right side or outside is to be held so as to securely hold an object placed thereon by hand, and it is preferably inclined slightly downward to the left as shown in Fig. 1. This posture is maintained as the holder travels upwardly and to the left to the posi tions of the second and third holders indicated in Fig. 1; but as each holder comes to the left-most position it is thrown from its normal posture to a substantially upright posture as clearly seen at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, wherein the objects are vertically shifted edgewise from the holder to the clamp. The further revolution of the wheel merely returns the holders to initial position, their posture being accidental and unimportant. For effecting such control of the holders, a convenient means is a fixed cam G which may be located beyond one of the side plates of the wheel E, as indicated, and each of the holders D may be provided with a cam roller cl cooperating with the cam G. Thus the rollers 03' are shown at the ends of short cranks or arms secured on the crossshafts F, and each of the rollers rests in direct contact with the fixed cam G. The contour of said cam is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 where also will be clearly seen the cooperation which effects the before stated control of the holders. The rollers d roll around the irregular contour of the cam and constantly determine the posture of the holders.

For rotating the wheel E preferably by the step-by-step movement referred to, the following means may be conveniently employed. The wheel is mounted at the upper end of a pair of uprights or standards 6, e, and is secured to its central shaft 6 by a construction of convenient form such as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At its outer ends the shaft is projected beyond its bearings, and at one end it is provided with a step-by-step device such as the ratchet wheel H shown as possessing six ratchet teeth adapted to be successively engaged by a pawl h secured at the outer end of a radial bar it, to which is also connected a downwardly extending link if connected at its lower end to an operating lever k which may be intermittently depressed to cause the pawl to act upon the ratchet for advancing the wheel a sixth of a revolution at each operation.

The complete power connections of the present machine will now be illustrated or referred to, although some of the operating shafts or cams will be merely indicated and their connections will be well understood. Thus on .a short shaft I is an eccentric or cam z mounted directly over a roller 2" which is secured to the lever 71. before referred to. In this way the revolution of shaft I effects intermittent downward movement of the lever, which may be opposed by a spring. To prevent over-throw or back-throw of the wheel Ethe same may have a brake, marked J, uniformly applied thereto, the same indicated, as clearly seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1, as a brake strap engaging a pulley, the brake strap having a connection j pulling downwardly upon it.

For shifting or group or object from the leftmost holder D to the clamp C the following convenient mechanism may be employed. I prefer to employ a sliding member K mounted upon a vertical slide-rod 7c and carrying with it a horizontally arranged contrivance adapted to bear upon the under edge of the object for lifting it out of the holder to the clamp. In fact, as indicated in Fig. 3, there are a pair of the vertical guide rods 70, and the member K while engaging both rods, includes also cross-connections so as to render it a substantial unit.

The up and down movements of the slide K may be conveniently effected as follows: A cam actuated lever 74 is connected by a pair of links, namely the rigid link 76 and the yielding link designed to prevent breakage, with the slide K. These links will preferably be duplicated so that the lifter will be actuated from both sides to secure better uniformity of action. The .movement of the lifter is controlled by a cam Z on a revolving shaft L, this cam being contacted by a cam roller 70 carried directly by the lever 70 By this arrangement the cam Z by its regular contour is caused to effect the intermittent upward movements of the lever 70 and the lifter K, which may return by gravity or otherwise.

have devised a novel form of lifter adapted to the requirements of a machine of the kind referred to. Referring more particularly to Fig. 3 the cross-bar 7c of the lifter is seen to be provided with a plurality of separate support pieces 70 all extending horizontally from the bar It". Each of the support pieces 10 is shown as comprising a sleeve 70 secured upon the bar k", and within the sleeve is a freely rotating shaft provided with a roughened or knurled collar 70 and at its rear end with another roughened or knurled collar 10 The lifting the signature three support pieces k are so positioned that when lifted they will pass in the spaces between the four strips comprising the holder D, and the revoluble collars 7e are at such point as to contact di rectly under the object to be lifted into the clamp. By this arrangement the three sup port pieces 70 of the lifter are caused to contact directly under the object and lift it vertically edgewise into position within the clamp.

It is sometimes important in book bindii g and other machines to properly adjust the object not only vertically but horizontally so as to insure the accurate effectuation of the several operations thereon. Thus referring to Fig, 1 the signature group Z, while it may be lifted accurately into the clamp so far as vertical position is concerned, is not adjusted laterally in the clamp so far as the preceding mechanism is concerned.

I will now describe how the object may be laterally adjusted in the clamp so as to be brought up into contact with any convenient stop therein, such for example as the two stems c, 0. The object rests upon the revoluble roughened collars 70 during its lifting. If those collars could be revolved in unison they would effect the desired side shifting of the object. The roughened collars 72 are provided for this purpose, and they are intended to be revolved in unison at the proper point in the ascent of the lifter to cause the adjustment referred to. When they are revolved in unison it is just as though the floor of the lifter were being shifted laterally. This action is effected through the knurled collars Z0 before referred to. As seen in Fig. 1 these collars are directly beneath a device M, which may be termed an adjusting device. Referring more particularly to Fig. I, the device M is seen to comprise a stationary bar m properly located, to which are fitted a series of downwardly extending members on, one for each of the three knurled collars 70 These downwardly extending members m are surfaced on one side to cooperate with the knurled surfaces of the collars 70 so that when the latter rise with the lifter K, they will roll along the sides of the members m, thereby causing the rotation of the collars 7c and so adjusting the object laterally in the clamp. If desired each of the members m may be rendered yielding through the use of a spring m tending to press each member toward a normal position, in which its heel or projection m bears against a fixed stop or surface m".

Before the signature group or object can be lifted from the holder into the clamp, the latter must be opened, and this is preferably automatically accomplished by means of a clamp lever N centrally mounted, and at its upper find connected so as to actuate a slide a movable upon a rod 11/, said slide carrying a piece 71. located directly behind so as to contact the two heads 0 of the two stems c, c, which at their forward ends carry the clamp part C. The clamp lever N at its lower end is providedwith a cam roller n which engages the periphery of a cam O mounted upon the same cam shaft L that carries the cam Z, and the cam 0 will be timed to open the clamp before the lifting of the object thereinto, and to permit the closing of the clamp after the object has been insorted and properly adjusted.

In order to properly maintain the object edgewise during its lifting movement, a wall P may be provided, this being shown as pivoted at its lower end at 7) for the purpose of adjustment to different sizes of objects or of v.ooks.

The operation of the above described mechanism may be as follows: The feed wheel E turning left-wise in Fig. 1 with a step-by-step movement presents in succession to the operator the holders D, and the operator places upon each holder a signature group or other object. Thus a constant stream or succession of objects are being carried by the series of holders lcftwise around the wheel to the point where, as before explained, each successive holder is thrown into vertical posture. At this stage of the movements of one object it is brought to stand edgewise partly upon the flange (Z of the holder and partly upon the knurled collar of the lifter, or the lifter may not actually contact the object until its rise begins. The lifter then rises, contacting the under side of the object and pushing it upwardly between the holder D and the wall 1 which serve to confine it against accidental displacement. The clamp is directly in line vertically above the rising object, and it enters into the clamp between the two parts thereof which have previously been automatically opened. Just before the object comes to its highest or normal position in the clamp, the adjuster M comes into play, acting upon the knurled collars 70 and in effect causing the floor of the lifter to shift laterally as already explained. This effects the lateral movement of the object while rising in the clamp so as to bring it up against, or into lateral contact with, the

stems c, c. Thereupon the clamp lever is released by its cam, and springs 0 cause the clamp to close upon the object. The mechanism is then in condition for the clamp to be advanced for the various operations to be performed upon the object, which though its size may vary, is always accurately adjusted as to its bottom edge and as to one side edge.

It will be seen that by reason of the construction above shown and described, a

transferring mechanism is provided Which answers the objects and afiords the advan tages of the invention as hereinabove set forth; and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The several lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A transferring mechanism comprising in combination, an intermittently rotating wheel, a series of signature group holders movably mounted upon said wheel, a stationary device for controlling the inclination of said holders from the point of supplying signatures thereto to the point of delivery therefrom, and means for receiving and maintaining the signature groups in segregated condition.

A transferring mechanism comprising in combination, an intermittently rotating wheel, a series of signature group holders movably mounted upon said wheel, a stationary device for controlling the inclination of said holders from the point of supplying signatures thereto to the point of delivery therefrom, each of said holders adapted to be tipped during its feed movement and having a flange for preventing movement of the signatures by gravity, and

means for receiving and maintaining the signature groups in segregated condition.

A transferring mechanism comprising in combination, an intermittently rotating wheel, a series of signature group holders movably mounted upon said wheel, a stationary device for controlling the inclination of said holders from the point of supplying signatures thereto to the point of delivery therefrom, said stationary con trolling device being so constructed or shaped as to cause each of said holders to stand flatwise when receiving a signature group and to incline during the feed thereof and to deliver the group edgewise at a position substantially at the level of the wheel axis, and means for receiving and maintaining the signature groups in segregated condition.

4-. A book binding machine including in combination with a series of upright clamps adapted to be advanced for carrying suc cessive signature groups through the operations of the machine, a transferring mechanism for successively presenting signature groups in upright position to a shifting device, and a shifting device for successively shifting edgewise each signature group from said mechanism to one of said clamps.

5. A book binding machine including in combination with a series of upright clamps adapted to be advanced for carrying successive signature groups through the operations of the machine, a transferring mechanism for successively presenting signature groups in upright position to a shifting device, and a shifting device for successively shifting edgewise each signature group from said mechanism to one of said clamps, said mechanism comprising a series of sig nature holders, a step-bystep feeder, and means to control the inclination of the holders to the vertical whereby each is tilted from fiatwise to edgewise in passing to said shifting device.

6. A book binding machine including in combination with a series of upright clamps adapted to be advanced for carrying successive signature groups through the operations of the machine, a transferring mechanism for successively presenting signature groups in upright position to a shifting device, and a shifting device for successively shifting edgewise each signature group from said mechanism to one of said clamps, said mechanism comprising a series of signature holders, a carrying wheel to which all the holders are movably attached, means to advance the wheel step-by-step, and means to control the inclination of the holders to the vertical whereby each stands substantially flatwise during its advance until it is tilted edgewise on coming to the shifting device.

7 A book binding machine including in combination with a series of upright clamps adapted to be advanced for carrying successive signature groups through the operations of the machine, a transferring mechanism for successively presenting signature groups in upright position to a shifting device, and a shifting device for successively shifting edgewise each signature group from said mechanism to one of said clamps, said mechanism comprising a series of signature holders, a carrying wheel to which all the holders are movably attached, means to advance the wheel step-by-step, and means to control the inclination of the holders to the vertical whereby each stands substantially fiatwise during its advance until it is tilted edgewise on coming to the shifting device, said controlling means comprising a fixed cam cooperating with a follower on each holder and so shaped that each holder as it rises from signature-receiving position swings oppositely to the rotation of said wheel so as to maintain the holder fiatwise and afterward swings in reverse direction to rapidly tilt the holder edgewise.

8. A book binding machine including in combination with a series of upright clamps adapted to be advanced for carrying successive signature groups through the operations of the machine, a transferring mechanism for successively presenting signature groups in upright position to a shifting device, and a shifting device for successively shifting edgewise each signature group from said mechanism to one of said clamps, said mechanism comprising a series of signature holders, each having a flat portion and edge flange, a step-by-step feeder, and means to control the inclination of the holders to the vertical whereby each is tilted from flatwise to edgewise in passing to said shifting device.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED BEEDENBERG.

Witnesses:

CARMELITA WELsI-I, JOHN M. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

